Memories Of Bentalls I

As a child, Bentalls Kingston, was my favourite shop.

I would often get my Mum or my Nanna to take me ‘shopping’ just to go to Bentalls. Wondering around and looking at the different departments never got boring. Riding up and down the escalators and wondering in and out of displays and thinking just how wonderful it all looked.

I remember the fantastic smell of the Food Hall on the lower ground floor, especially the exquisite aroma of freshly ground coffee, that smelt inviting even as a child.

I have fond memories of the children’s hairdressers through the swinging glass doors on the ground floor. They had colourful capes to wear and special animal chairs to sit in while you had your hair cut. It was only a small area but it felt like another land.

I will never forget the day, my best friend and I had our ears pierced in Bentalls. We felt very grown up as we bravely sat there. I went first as it was my birthday and being eight I was the oldest and more mature! Once the experience was over we felt proud as we walked around the store with our shiny new earrings!

My Mum and I would often visit the fabric department and buy material for her to make us both wonderful things to wear. If I was lucky she would also buy enough to make my dolls a matching outfit. Blue cross days in the fabric department were an unforgettable experience! Chaos descended on the department as everyone fought for the rolls of fabric and as a child it was wise to stay put and in a safe corner, for fear of being bashed with a roll of material!

Christmas time was always magical as Bentalls always had the tallest Christmas tree that stood proudly in the ground floor foyer and stretched high into the floors above. In a secret location in the store Father Christmas awaited in his grotto, for children to visit with their lists and have their photos taken to prove they were brave enough to see him!

No trip to Bentalls was ever complete with a visit to the coffee shop on the ground floor. It was at the front of the store with windows that over-looked Clarence Street. As I look back now, I have the impression it was a 50’s style diner. The only thing I ever had there was the occasional milk shake but always, always an ice –cream (on a cone of course). Even today I have yet to find ice cream that matches the taste and texture of the one they made there. There were three flavours, vanilla, strawberry and coffee. Coffee was always my first choice, with strawberry following next. The ice cream really was delicious and sometimes had the odd little piece of ice in it! To me, that made it even better! I could not go home without having had an ice cream!

As I grew older I never lost the love of the shop and probably spent my first wages in the store and was never too old for ice cream! I was disappointed when news came that the wonderful shop was to be transformed and modernised. Things move on but I will always smile and fondly remember the happy trips to Bentalls I had a child.

Paola Di Mambro, a Time & Leisure reader, sent this in repsonse to our request for memories of Bentalls in Kingston.